Grave sites at riskState being robbed blind' on drought-exposed landLong-submerged relics at 2 lakes targeted By Andy Paras (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Friday, December 21, 2007
Melissa Haneline State Archaeologist Dr. Johnathan Leader stands over the site of a grave, the bones from which were exhumed by the Orangeburg County coroner earlier this week after grave robbers took the skull. The grave has been underwater until the recent drought brought lake levels six feet lower than normal. State 'being robbed blind' on drought-exposed landLong-submerged relics at 2 lakes targeted To offer tipsAnyone who sees suspicious behavior along the shores of the lakes is asked to contact Santee Cooper at 761-4020 or local police. LAKE MARION — The utility vehicle had barely stopped Thursday when state archaeologist Jonathan Leader leapt from his seat and sprinted across the dried lake bed toward two men prodding the soft Orangeburg County ground for artifacts. "This is a burial ground!" Leader shouted at one man, who replied that he was just looking for arrowheads. A 3-foot hole, a shovel and a sifting tool, which the men denied knowing anything about, were nearby. "You're not looking for arrowheads," Leader told them. "You're leaving." Officials made a gruesome discovery last week, about 50 yards from where the men had landed their johnboat. Someone had broken into a casket in a shallow, century-old grave, and stole a skull. The grave was one of dozens recently uncovered by the receding shoreline brought on by drought conditions unseen since the 1950s. Leader, of the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, said the dried-up Southeast has become the target for a global demand for artifacts, which includes a black market for skulls and bones. The more that lake and river water recedes, the more the entire state is becoming at risk of losing its artifacts and its heritage to professional looters. "This is something that seriously needs to be addressed," Leader said. "The state is being robbed blind." The two men, whom officials didn't consider graverobbers, were still getting back into their boat when two more boats full of people crept up to the property. The new arrivals sped away when they saw a small group of state officials examining the graveyard and discussing how to stop the looting of artifacts without restricting access to the area. Among them was state Rep. David Umphlett, who said they don't want to stop people from studying the generations of history that dates back to before colonization. "We don't want to stop people from going out there," Umphlett said. "The problem is you always have a few bad apples." Officials said they don't even mind the occasional taking of an arrowhead, but they most fear grave robberies and the theft of artifacts that will show the current and future generations their history. Umphlett and state Sen. Glenn McConnell have visited the exposed grave and were horrified at what they saw. "I just consider this the most despicable act possible," McConnell said. "It just repulses any decent human being. You just wonder what type of person would do what has been done." Near the cemetery is a thick tree trunk with its roots exposed. Waves have eroded the ground as much as 3 feet since the land was flooded in the 1940s to create Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion. The graves, once several feet under ground, are now peeking out of the dirt. Officials said some of the graves appeared to be family plots, with smaller gravesites, perhaps those of children, coupled next to larger plots. The Orangeburg County Coroner's Office has exhumed the remains of the exposed grave and will carbon date the bones to determine how old they are. They hope to be able to return the remains to the original resting site. The graves were probably from the early 1800s to the 1930s, Leader said. It's not known yet whether they were graves of blacks or whites. There were so many poor people during the height of the Depression that many would have lacked the means to pay to move the graves, Leader said. Santee Cooper officials said that 6,000 of the 7,000 graves identified at the time had been relocated before the lakes were formed. The state is receiving reports of uncovered graves every week with the receding waters, raising the issue of how to patrol more and more land. Disturbing a grave is a crime, as is stealing artifacts. Umphlett and McConnell said legislators will carefully consider what other laws they can pass, perhaps restricting vehicles from the lake beds. They said the best way to address the problem in the short term is for residents to alert law enforcement when they see something suspicious around the lakes and rivers. Mollie Gore, corporate communications representative for Santee Cooper, said the state-owned utility has started increasing patrols and will work with other state agencies to crack down on looters. She said the receding water presents new problems to the company, and it still is trying to figure out ways to address the issue. The company decided Thursday that signs telling people what they can do and where they can go should be posted immediately. Leader said the best thing they can do right now is ask people to not take any artifacts. They need to be dug up properly and not pilfered, he said. Otherwise, "That's one less piece of history that tells us what was there," he said. Reach Andy Paras at 745-5891 or aparas@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 23 comment(s)
Posted by Magpie on December 21, 2007 at 8:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
PalmettoMan - your comment is totally uncalled for. This forum should be about the article, not a place for name-calling. Rep. Umphlett does not want to take away people's right to explore, but because of a few "bad apples", the rest of us will probably be banned from the lake bed.
I live in Mr. Umphlett's district and the times I have had issues with something, he has addressed it and we have seen results. Stick to the issue.
Posted by SCVOTER on December 21, 2007 at 8:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Palmetto man, so the officers out there are wrong...you have solved the case from the comfort of your desk chair.
If only you were king of the world....
Posted by diggerman on December 21, 2007 at 8:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
True relic hunters do NOT condone this type of behavior.I am a relic hunter and would turn these people in if i caught them pilfering a grave or protected site.
Diggerman
Posted by dawhetsell on December 21, 2007 at 9:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Let no one but state archaeologist on the lake ,that will stop the problem. If you allow everyone, you will get the low life grave robbers.
Posted by theronce on December 21, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Go ahead, pass another law. Restrict it for the privileged like the lion's share of the ACE Basin, the hunting and fishing refuge of the privileged, powerful, and connected. What better way to keep the commoners off the lake than to protect it for them. They are so wise, and we are so stupid.
Posted by miki on December 21, 2007 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's not ILLEGAL to take arrowheads.
"Officials said they don't even mind the occasional taking of an arrowhead"
Posted by combahee on December 21, 2007 at 9:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There is a difference between picking up the occasional arrowhead and wholesale looting. Whether you are digging up graves, an old CW campsite or battlefield it is illegal to do so on State property or even private property without express permission.
The lake bed is owned by Santee Cooper and therefor off limits.
Most relic hunters are stealing our heritage and history.
Sorry diggerman for every relic hunter that hunts with permission there are 50 that don't. The continually break into crypts in rural graveyards. They dig up the walls of Civil War earthworks. My neighbor has even found them on his property dressed in full cammo, including the detectors and stocking masks! Lucky they weren't shot, it was deer season.
It is difficult to find any historic site on private or public property that hasn't been extensively gone over by relic hunters.
Since these guys were in a graveyard, and graves are protected by State laws, they should have been arrested on the spot. Send a clear message to the relic hunters.
If someone wants to hunt relics fine let them carry a copy of the property owner's written permission. Just like a hunting license.
Posted by upcountry on December 21, 2007 at 10:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i wonder why the alleged digger's auto tag number was not reported law authorities for investigation after the discovery of the men digging in the cemetery...
it appears to me that the men were merely told to leave the area, according to the news paper article. did law enforcement take charge of the unclaimed equipment found at the site or was it left there.
...my keyboard caps and most of the symbols apparently are not working this morning. hahaha
Posted by est8esq on December 21, 2007 at 10:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr. Beer,
Walking along in a field, beside a stream, or the edge of a lake and picking up an arrowhead exposed on the ground whether by plow or natural erosion isn't a crime, except on federal land or in known/designated burial areas or archeological sites.
So, what I'm basically saying is if you go "head hunting" make sure you don't go digging and that your hunt isn't for an actual head...
Posted by upcountry on December 21, 2007 at 10:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i wonder why the alledged digger's auto tag number was not obtained and reported to law authorities for investigation after being discovered digging in the cemetery...
it appears the men were merely told to leave the area, according to the news paper article.
did law enforcement take charge of the unclaimed equipment found at the site.
...my keyboard cap key and most of the symbols keys are not working this morning. hahaha.....
Posted by upcountry on December 21, 2007 at 10:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i wonder why the digger's auto tag number was not obtained and reported to law authorities for investigation after being discovered digging in the cemetery...
it appears the men were merely told to leave the area, according to the news paper article.
did law enforcement take charge of the unclaimed equipment found at the site.
...my keyboard cap key and most of the symbols keys are not working this morning. hahaha.....
Posted by reality_woman on December 21, 2007 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's a dirty shame that people are out messing with graves. That is not right no way. It's disrespectful of the dead. Would we want that to happen in hundreds of years from now to us in our final resting place? I think not. Truly sick people out there.
Posted by Early on December 21, 2007 at 12:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The blame goes to Santee Cooper. In the 40's pressured tor complete the project, Santee knowingly flooded the land full of grave sites and old homes. Knowingly left large trees in the navigational areas. Knowing flooded land which the Indians had rights to. To this day they take the holier than thou attitude with projected coal plants in the mercury triangle with little regards for human and animal health. It's happening today and 50 years from now our children will say how did my folks let Santee poison our land with mercury.
Anyway, The land is the property of Santee Cooper and Santee should provide security for their land.
Posted by Lakeuser on December 21, 2007 at 12:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The so called lake bed is open to the “General Public” unless otherwise posted by some Authority. The allowance of all terrain vehicles is the source of the problem and the continuance of these unauthorized acts will continue until an Agency takes on the responsible to enforce or cause for some temporary law that will enable the Law Enforcement Divisions to make arrest.
The two guys may have been actually performing what hundreds of people do everyday along the shoreline of lakes, look for pottery and arrowheads or whatever lays on the bottom that has some interest. Mr. Leaders did actually see two guys digging at the grave site; I believe he used them to make a point or show his authority for the “Camera”.
Any boat landing on a given weekend has hundreds of vehicles parked within the parking lot; we all know that they are not fishing!
Posted by hmmm on December 21, 2007 at 12:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When the drought is over, and the water in the lake rises, aren't these graves going to be underwater again?
While I don't condone grave robbing, the real desecration took place a long long time ago. You'd think that the laws of the state, not to mention common decency, would have made Santee Cooper move every grave before they flooded the land to make the lake.
Posted by mac0cm4 on December 21, 2007 at 1:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They cared about the artifacts so much, but only enough to flood the land over it...lol
Posted by theronce on December 21, 2007 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Geechie, I have seen someone in a DNR boat in scuba gear with a bag of stuff. Nothing is safe.
Posted by auger on December 21, 2007 at 6:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"and the theft of artifacts that will show the current and future generations their history."
That is the type of phrase that always crops up in this sort of story. So, if I understand correctly, Santee Cooper and the state of South Carolina weren't just trying to save a buck when they failed to move the graves of those families who could not afford to do so, they were building a time capsule! In which millennium did they expect these treasures to be discovered?
The same thing applies to treasure hunters. As soon as they find something, someone else claims ownership. No, I am not a treasure hunter, although I did find a raccoon skull under my shed once. I probably should have reported the find. It could have been a skull from colonial times.
Posted by Barn_Girl on December 21, 2007 at 9:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, Santee Cooper did knowingly flood the project prematurely. The funny thing is that it wasn't as a cost savings measure as someone else mentioned. Unfortunately, the country was in the midst of a defining moment in our history, World War II. An armor manufacturer located in Charleston, Charleston Metalurgical, needed something in order to operate, electricity. Thus, homes, trees, and even graves were left behind in an effort to provide that electricity. Santee Cooper is trying to protect these graves. That is why we all had the opportunity to read about these disturbances. As for plug on Mercury, it's apparent that each of us here seem to enjoy the 'luxury' of electricity since we are obviously connected to technology. I can promise you that every time you flip on a light switch in your home you have helped to burn coal, even the folks that are against ensuring that our children have affordable power and jobs in the future.
Posted by Lakeuser on December 21, 2007 at 9:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let’s get real; grave sites during that period were not documented. It is unfortunate that our lake is in a drought condition, we have to understand that the entire system suffers during a drought! I wish we had the same passion for the fisheries that will suffer during this low water.
I assume that this area is located near a public landing where the public can gain easy access. I feel sorry for the two guys that were attacked by Mr. Leader, they were obviously looking for relics and were caught by a raged Archeologist trying to make a point. If signs were posted informing the public of the states regulations or “Removal of Artifacts is Not Allowed” Mr. Leader would have had a right to question or require the men to leave the area. How do you determine who can use the area that is considered lake ? It is open to the public, right ?
The people who destroyed the grave site need to be liable for their actions. However, you don’t punish all the others for their acts.
Posted by jerseylegal on December 21, 2007 at 10:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What makes this Leader guy think he owns the earth and all it posseses? What arrogance!
Posted by hollyman on December 21, 2007 at 10:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well said, Barn_girl! You presented an intelligent and well thought out observation. The vandals and grave robbers should be delt with firmly. It would be a shame for the rest of us to be denied the opportunity to walk and explore the freshly exposed areas because of "a few bad apples". We should take advantage of the chance to research and learn from these areas. Gravesites discovered should be treated with courtesy, reverence, and respect.
Posted by sethook on December 21, 2007 at 10:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i wonder why the digger's auto tag number was not obtained and reported to law authorities for investigation after being discovered digging in the cemetery...
it appears the men were merely told to leave the area, according to the news paper article.
did law enforcement take charge of the unclaimed equipment found at the site.
...my keyboard cap key and most of the symbols keys are not working this morning. hahaha.....